2009-11-02

5:43pm: Game 5 is from Philadelphia, for those keeping track. MLB uses the "2-3-2" format, versus the NHL's "2-2-1-1-1". So far the NHL has had no traction in the rumblings asking for a "2-3-1-1" where Games 3-5 and also Game 7 go to the homefield advantage team, with the opening games with all the pressure going to the defeated team.

5:44pm: Chris Pronger's Philadelphia Flyers are playing across the street. Alanis Morissette is singing "The Star Spangled Banner". Between the two of them, I believe they are responsible for about 16,000 different adulturous relationships.

5:51pm: Chase Utley did very well against C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is not pitching today. Therefore, the player to watch in this game is Chase Utley??

5:55pm: Pettitte, Posada, Jeter, and Riviera... the Yankee "Core 4". Isn't it a good thing they found a year that exactly four players remained on the roster from? That way the rhyme works out. To be fair, every year in baseball pool time I avoid Posada and Riviera thinking "this is the year these old men in tough positions should fall back down to earth". They don't.

5:57pm: Brett Gardner is in CF to replace Melky. Good news for the Phillies.

5:58pm: Cliff Lee has a 0.54 ERA in 33.1 innings this postseason. That is ugly.

5:59pm: Big boos for Number Two: Derek Jeter. 1-0 on the first pitch.

6:00pm: Yankees have 26 outs before they have to wait for their 27th World Series crown. Hmmm, I don't have this coincidental numerology down right.

Top 1st, 6:01pm: Damon's base hit puts the Yankees on base. They never learn with that guy, do they?

Top 1st, 6:02pm: 3-1 for Mark Texiera. Already Cliff Lee is looking like an ordinary superstar, not an incredible superstar.

Top 1st, 6:04pm: A-Rod up, 2 outs with Damon stuck on first base.

Top 1st, 6:05pm: A-Rod hits Damon in, Yankees leading 1-0. Rodriguez is just happy that he gets through an at-bat without being hit by a pitch.

Top 1st, 6:08pm: Cliff Lee can't not retire Robinson Cano in the first inning. That can't even be his real name!

Bottom 1st, 6:11pm: It should be illegal to go on and on about Rocky when discussing teams from Philly. I'm switching from Sportsnet to the FOX feed. Bonus: less Greg Zaun analysis.

Bottom 1st, 6:12pm: Burnett has thrown 100% of his pitches as strikes.

Bottom 1st, 6:14pm: Rollins is on base, and no outs for the Yankee defense so far in the 1st inning.

Bottom 1st, 6:17pm: Chase Utley hits it for a 3-run homer! Phillies are in the lead, and I'm eating my own feet.

Bottom 1st, 6:19pm: So now its a question who gets pulled first, Lee or Burnett? 3-1 Phillies lead.

Bottom 1st, 6:20pm: Howards bat disappeared like some sort of magic trick! Even in slo-mo its hard to see its departure. Of course, this isn't entirely a good thing for a batter whose confidence in himself is waning. Full count to the big man from "USA!"

Bottom 1st, 6:24pm: After a pitching coach meeting with Burnett, the pitching seems a little better but not by much. 1 out, Ibanez up to the plate.

Bottom 1st, 6:25pm: Not enough time to get the double play, but Ibanez is on first base and second is empty thanks to Texiera. First base is occupied thanks to Jeter.

Bottom 1st, 6:27pm: 3-1 score after the first inning. Looks like both bullpens will be in by the 5th!

Top 2nd, 6:32pm: Lots of chewing tobacco in the Yankees dugout. I thought MLB banned it in the field area in favour of sunflower seeds in order to keep from harming young impressionable children?

Top 2nd, 6:36pm: Cliff Lee has re-discovered his form. He clears the Yankee side with no runners on base.

Bottom 2nd, 6:42pm: Now Burnett has calmed down as well, starting off with a strikeout.

Bottom 2nd, 6:44pm: Victorino has been preparing for his next at-bat vs. the man who tried to kill him. The walk to Rollins means its happening right now!

Bottom 2nd, 6:45pm: Popping up isn't much revenge there, Shaney boy.

Top 3rd, 6:50pm FOX is talking about "tipping pitches". Greg Zahn talked about this earlier, so now I hate the segment twice as much.

Top 3rd, 6:51pm: The Phillies have an X-ray facility in their stadium. Canada can barely put any in PEI.

Top 3rd, 6:52pm: Unintentional walk for Damon. How do I know its unintentional? The look on Cliff Lee's face. And or the F-bomb he dropped.

Top 3rd, 6:55pm: They just had a long talk about double plays, and how Chase Utley didn't touch the bag (or maybe "brushed against it") before throwing to 1st. Are you nuts? I've seen double plays pass the mustard when the second basemen didn't even share a timezone with the bag before letting the ball fly. Shit, sometimes the 2nd basemen doesn't hit the ground between catching and releasing the ball!

Bottom 3rd, 6:59pm: The "October classic" runs into November. Hockey playoffs are in June, too, which is equally insane. Of course, Edmonton can experience blizzards in either month.

Bottom 3rd, 7:00pm: The Sportsnet feed is about 15 seconds ahead of the FOX feed, so I'm switching to that.

Bottom 3rd, 7:03pm: Jeter drops the ball (shocker!) and the Phillies have runners on 1st and 2nd.

Bottom 3rd, 7:04pm: "The Phillies are playing like a team that has nothing to lose, not a team that is going home if they lose tonight." Uh, ever double-check your idioms, boys?

Bottom 3rd, 7:05pm: Lots of full counts so far in this game. Ryan Howard has the latest one.

Bottom 3rd, 7:06pm: Howard draws a walk (Burnett's 4th), and now runners on 1st and 2nd. Time for another mound visit...

Bottom 3rd, 7:07pm: Jayson Werth. Both words are spelt wrong. Which is why he swung on Burnett's lousy 50th pitch...

Bottom 3rd, 7:08pm: Werth's RBI makes it 4-1 for Philadelphia.

Bottom 3rd, 7:10pm: Now Girardi is coming up to chat with Burnett, as the crowd goes wild. It's 5-1 Phillies.

Bottom 3rd, 7:14pm: David Robertson is now pitching for the Yankees.

Bottom 3rd, 7:17pm: 6-1 Phillies, and A.J. Burnett's ERA nudges up a little more. The Yankees better hope that they can deflate Cliff Lee in the 4th inning. He's up to bat now.

Bottom 3rd, 7:18pm: Cliff Lee's hit means the Yankees are in a world of hurt right now.

Bottom 3rd, 7:21pm: Burnett is out, and its still 6-1 Philadelphia over the Yankees. That's a 20+ minute half-inning.

Top 4th, 7:23pm: ESPN announcers are talking how Philly never used to let you build taller than the Penn statue. How Philly sprung up as a result (and the as-high-as-possible heights before the statute about the statue was removed) is the best argument about why the Edmonton City Centre Airport "tall building" myth is a lie, and why closure is a stupid idea.

Top 4th, 7:29pm: The Yankees retired. They are fast running out of outs.

Bottom 6th, 8:10pm: As with so many baseball games, the middle innings are blowing by.

Top 7th, 8:23pm: 46,178 is the attendance tonight.

7th inning stretch, 8:25pm: No "Take me out to the ballgame" during the postseason? Is it because Alanis would have ran out on field with a fork when the National Guardswoman sang about "buy me some peanuts"?

Bottom 7th, 8:33pm: Step aside Reggie Jackson: Chase Utley bloops one into the stands, and the Phillies now lead the Yankees 7-2.

Bottom 7th, 8:40pm: The Yankees have six more outs to score 6+ runs to win the World Series. Can they step up? Well, probably not. I actually called this for Philadelphia at the start of the game, but only on MSN, not here.

Bottom 7th, 8:42pm: Of course they have to get up to bat, first. Phil Hughes is on the mound for New York, so that moment may be a long way away...

Top 8th, 8:49pm: Cliff Lee is still on the mound. This game is looking so bad for the Yankees. I can't see Game 6 ending all that much better. On the bright side, Game 7 looks bright. At least one Yankee pitcher thrives on little rest.

Top 8th, 8:50pm: Texiera hits a double to left field, and Damon moves to 3rd base. It's time for a mound visit.

Top 8th, 8:51pm: A-Rod's double makes it an 8-4 lead for Philly, as Ibanez is unable to make the catch. Choker.

Top 8th, 8:55pm: I gotta agree with you Nick Swisher, that first pitch was way too far outside to be a strike.

Top 8th, 8:56pm: "Ho trying the backdoor". Ha!

Top 8th, 8:57pm: A sorta-sacrifice for Nick Swisher, as Rodriguez is moved to 3rd base.

Top 8th, 8:58pm: You suck Robinson Cano. You really really suck.

Top 8th, 9:00pm: You really suck Robinson Cano. A-Rod scores though, its 8-5 Yankees. The base coach told him to stop, but he didn't.

Top 8th, 9:02pm: C'mon Chan Ho, you fairy. Ten minutes on the mound and suddenly your shoes are caked with mud? Lee stood out there for three hours!

Bottom 8th, 9:06pm: Phil Hughes is 0-2. Not often you get to say that.

Bottom 8th, 9:07pm: That looks better: a weak pitch by Hughes and the Phillies are on base. Matt Stairs up to the plate.

Bottom 8th, 9:12pm: And with that, we're on to the 9th inning. Posada, Hughes, and Jeter are up to the plate. Bear in mind that "Mr. Yankee Derek Gee" would be the tying run if they all hit long bombs.

Top 9th, 9:13pm: Ryan Madson up to the plate, because "its not a save situation". So Charlie Manuel cares more about postseason stats than winning the fucking World Series??

Top 9th, 9:15pm: Posada scores a double, a couple feet short of a homer, and now the Yankees are in scoring position. Damon will likely get an at-bat.